Field of the Invention
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to an oxygen supply system, and more particularly to a method, device and system for an oxygen supply quick connect adapter.
Discussion of the Related Art
Medical piped fluid systems in hospitals, and most other healthcare facilities, are used for supplying piped oxygen and other gases (or fluids) from an oxygen source to various parts of a hospital, including standard hospital room (operating, procedure or other rooms) oxygen line outlets. In typical hospital rooms, oxygen outlet(s) are colored green and located near the patient bed or procedure table. Most standard hospital bed rooms have at least two (2) oxygen outlets, and also a yellow outlet that represents “room air.” Intensive care, operating, and other procedure rooms may have multiple oxygen and air outlets that are needed not only for basic respiratory equipment, but also life support machines (e.g., ventilators, cardiopulmonary bypass pumps, etc.). Attached at the outlet, a Thorpe Tube, or other flow-meter, reduces the pressure from bulk storage (at the wall) to “working” pressure (e.g., 50 psi). The Thorpe Tube flow-meter then regulates the flow through the use of a knob that is turned counter clockwise or clockwise to achieve the desired flow rate.
Resuscitation or “ambu” bags, face masks, nebulizers, nasal cannulas and other oxygen delivery devices typically have tubing that attaches to a nipple or “Christmas tree” connector on the flow-meter to facilitate connection to the oxygen source. Christmas tree connectors have deep grooved barbs over which the oxygen tubing slides. These connectors facilitate a rapid mechanical connection and disconnection (e.g., push the tubing on or pull the tubing off), by hand, to oxygen sources. Christmas tree connectors have a threaded end that screws onto the flow-meter outlet.
However, rapid connection and disconnection of oxygen tubing from the Christmas tree connectors has long led to excessive oxygen waste. Most notably, even after oxygen tubing is disconnected from the Christmas tree connector, oxygen sources are often left running at various flow rates for hours or even days. Often times this occurs because hospital staff is in a hurry, or simply neglects to turn off the oxygen source. In any event, oxygen continues to bleed for extended periods of time leading to excessive waste. This has been documented over a long period of time and numerous healthcare professionals have expressed a long felt need to control or stop oxygen waste. Oxygen waste in hospitals is widely acknowledged, but, yet to be addressed. A 2010 study found that fifteen (15) operating rooms wasted roughly 19,000 L of oxygen, or about 670 cubic feet, in a five-day span, which extrapolated over a one year period amounted to nearly one million liters in wasted oxygen.
In addition, Christmas tree connectors do not maintain current oxygen flow rates once disconnected. That is, when patients are transferred from location to location (e.g., discharged or leaves the room for testing or other procedure), their flow oxygen rates, if turned off as required, must be reset to proper levels at the new location.
What is needed then is a device to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and address these long felt needs.